MUNSTER confirmed a triple injury blow yesterday with Denis Fogarty, Felix Jones and Ian Dowling facing lay-offs after Saturday’s Magners League victory over the Ospreys.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL is battling to be fit for Leinster’s assault on another Heineken Cup title when they meet Clermont Auvergne in the quarter-final on April 9.

JONATHAN SEXTON will return to the Leinster side for Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash with Brive and kickstart a fascinating battle for the No 10 jersey ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations Championship campaign.

JONATHAN SEXTON and Shane Jennings are hoping for a dramatic improvement in weather conditions to allow tomorrow night’s Magners League clash against Glasgow Warriors at the RDS (8pm) to go ahead.

JAMES COUGHLAN is intent on helping Munster A enhance an unbeaten seasonal record when he captains the team in the opening clash of the new British and Irish Cup against English championship side Coventry at Butts Stadium, Coventry, tonight (7.45pm)

LEO CULLEN is back to provide a captain’s guiding hand for Leinster in Saturday’s Magners League Halloween clash with Cardiff Blues at the RDS.

MUNSTER back-row forward Nick Williams faces at least six weeks out following knee surgery, but the Magners League champions will still have something to smile about for then new season.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika is a straight-talking Aussie who would evidently lose it if he suspected even a scintilla of complacency in the camp ahead of Saturday’s final of the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield.

THE disappointment of defeat at the Galway Sportsground earlier in the season was enough in itself for Leinster’s head coach Michael Cheika to vow the return fixture at the RDS on Friday would be a revenge mission.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has a guilt complex about playing Shane Jennings at number six rather than open side flanker following the latter’s exclusion from Ireland’s Six Nations squad.

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LEO CULLEN wants to make a meaningful return to international rugby after being named as replacement captain in Ireland A’s game against England Saxons at Ravenhill tonight (7.45pm).

“YOU don’t beat Munster twice in the same season,” has long been a mantra of the European champions and it’s one that will be put to a severe test at Thomond Park this afternoon (3pm, Setanta Sports) when Leinster make their first visit in nine years to the famous Limerick venue for an eagerly-awaited Magners League tie.

THE strength in depth of Irish rugby will be put to the test at Thomond Park tonight (7.30) when Michael Bradley’s Ireland A squad go into action against Australia A.

LIFIEMI MAFI makes his first start for Munster in tomorrow’s Magners League clash with Llanelli Scarlets in Stradey Park (Setanta Sports, 5.35pm).

THE big boys are back for Leinster and Munster — most of them at least.

GUY EASTERBY will make an emotional return to Llanelli Scarlets at Stradey Park today (5.30pm), but faces a battering from his brother Simon.

DENIS HICKIE will make his first competitive start of the season in tonight’s Magners League against Cardiff Blues at Donnybrook.

CARDIFF BLUES are to deny Munster fans the potential for a big Heineken Cup show of strength at the Millennium Stadium.

IRELAND A coach Michael Bradley has made six changes to the Ireland A team to take on England Saxons in the Churchill Cup Plate final tomorrow at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada.

AS Leinster prepare for the Battle of Ireland on Saturday, Brian O’Driscoll has suspended cordial relations with his Triple Crown winning Munster colleagues.

IRISH coach Eddie O’Sullivan has opted for youthful promise in the Ireland A team to meet England in Gloucester on Friday night (7.45pm).

WITH Limoges a prohibitive 400km south of Paris, there won’t be too many Irish fans at tonight’s ‘A’ international between France and Ireland (6.30pm).

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has all but given up on Will Green for Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash against Glasgow (RDS, 5.15pm. RTÉ Two).

PAUL O’CONNELL is on the verge of making his long awaited return to representative rugby, and appears certain to be available for Munster’s two remaining Heineken Cup pool fixtures in the New Year.

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LEINSTER will roll out two of the big names for tomorrow night’s Celtic League clash with leaders Ulster at Donnybrook (5.30).

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MUNSTER’S Celtic League clash with Llannelli, fixed for Thomond Park on September 23, will be moved to Cork as the Limerick venue has been deemed unplayable for at least a month after 3000 sods of turf were dug up by vandals.

GARY LONGWELL, who reached the landmark 50th Heineken Cup cap earlier this season, will win his 150th Ulster cap in Friday night’s Celtic League clash with Cardiff.

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IRISH coach Eddie O’Sullivan longs for the day when the A International Championship resumes.

RUGBY legend Jonathan Davies has backed claims by Wales coach Mike Ruddock that England are better off without Jonny Wilkinson.

ULSTER introduce Gavin Pfister for tomorrow night’s Celtic League clash with Edinburgh at Ravenhill.

ULSTER introduce Gavin Pfister for tomorrow night’s Celtic League clash with Edinburgh at Ravenhill.

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MUNSTER last night refuted allegations that prop Marcus Horan racially abused a Neath/Swansea Ospreys player at the Gnoll last weekend.

MUNSTER will unveil latest signing Tom Bowman in tonight’s Celtic League clash with Connacht at Musgrave Park (8pm).

JOHN KELLY and Jason Holland are back in action for Munster against Connacht at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

Harlequins hero Gavin Duffy has been named by Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan in his Irish squad to tour South Africa next month.

A SEASIDE walk on Tuesday ended in disaster for Leinster’s James Norton, when he fell and cracked his hip in Dun Laoire.

MUNSTER have signed Scottish international prop Gordon McIlwham. The 33-year-old former Glasgow and Begles Bordeaux prop will join Alan Gaffney’s squad at the conclusion of Scotland’s World Cup campaign, until the end of the current season.

ULSTER will be understrength for the Celtic League visit of Glasgow to Ravenhill this evening (7.35) which will be shown live on TG4.